Citrus hopes come with warning

A record volume citrus harvest is being predicted for the Riverland of South Australia.

It is expected the navel orange crop could reach 100,000 tonnes this year.

But Citrus Australia is warning the yield could result in an oversupply of up to 80,000 tonnes nationally.

Kym Thiel from the organisation said the fruit size also could be affected because it had been generally hot and dry in the region.

"At the moment they have been growing OK and fruit size is on track or at least average, probably down on last year but at least average," he said.

"But going forward it will be interesting to see what happens if the dry conditions and some of the heat we've had continues and we don't get any rain."

Mr Thiel said a crop oversupply could force removal of trees, and replanting with varieties more in demand.

"Either we try to increase our markets, but probably at the same time there's an opportunity for growers to remove parts of their orchards that are growing non-preferred navel types, some of the earlier navels, so if we remove 1,500, 1,600 hectares from the southern states, that's what we're looking at," he said.